Police remove the barrier at Dong Cuu Village in Hanoi after a quarantine period for Covid-19 prevention

The quarantine imposed on a village in Hanoi, the city’s last area locked down for Covid-19 prevention, has been removed after 28 days. 

At around midnight on Wednesday, the isolation was lifted at Dong Cuu Village in the outlying district of Thuong Tin.

The quarantine had been imposed at the village since April 14 after a 36-year-old local woman was tested positive for Covid-19.

The locals were asked not to gather to celebrate and continue conforming to the pandemic prevention measures as regulated.

With no new cases of Covid-19 reported on Thursday morning, Vietnam has now gone four weeks without any community transmissions.

As of Thursday morning, of the 36 Covid-19 cases undergoing treatment at medical facilities nationwide, 11 tested negative to the virus at least twice and six others once.

More than 13,700 people are being isolated at centralised quarantine camps, hospitals or at their homes.

Vietnam makes rice donation to frontline Cuban health workers

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera received a large donation of 100 tonnes of rice from Viglacera Corporation, in Hanoi on May 13 as a gift to frontline health workers of the Caribbean island who are battling against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

During the handover ceremony, Viglacera Deputy General Director Tran Ngoc Anh noted that the donation reflects the Vietnamese people’s respect towards Cuban medical staff who are on the front line combatting the epidemic, adding that the firm hopes the donation will offer a boost to Cuba to overcome this challenging period.Anh emphasised that the Cuban Government has so far made a number of great efforts to effectively contain the epidemic, with Cuban medical workers poised to receive the gift shortly.

In response, Ambassador Rivera extended Cuba’s gracious thanks to Viglacera Corporation for helping the Cuban people overcome this difficult time, noting that international solidarity represents a key part of overcoming the pandemic.

The Cuban diplomat went on to state that the gift is of great significance as a way of encouraging frontline health workers on the Caribbean island to rise up to the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19.

She expressed her firm belief that both the spirit of international solidarity and the tireless efforts put in by the entire political system and competent agencies from both countries will see Vietnam and Cuba stamp out the epidemic in the near future.

The donation given by Viglacera Corporation comes after the Vietnamese Party, State, and people gave 5,000 tonnes of rice to the Cuban Party, the State, and people.

Germany, Vietnam combine efforts to combat COVID-19

VG-CARE members join fight against COVID-19 (Photo: VG-CARE)

Based in Hanoi, the Vietnamese-German Center for Medical Research (VG-CARE) has donated a total of 2,000 3M-N95 face masks and 100 sets of personal protective equipment to be used by health professionals who work at the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of Tübingen in Germany, as both nations seek to bolster joint efforts to fight the coronavius epidemic.

The haul of medical supplies represent crucial equipment that is necessary for medical staff in order for them to provide suitable care for patients at clinics throughout Germany. The medical equipment is set to be put into immediate use following its arrival in Tübingen on 11 May. 

This donation follows the lead of VG-CARE, who provided 6,000 swab tubes in late March to be used in a joint clinical study of the universities of Tübingen, Hamburg, and Stuttgart in order to develop a COVID-19 drug, with efforts eventually starting on April 1.

The items were sent as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Huu Song, the Vietnamese director of VG-CARE and alumnus of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), seeks to increase the partnership that exists between the country and the Central European nation.

This increased support has served to build a closer relationship between doctors and scientists at the University of Tübingen, and with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Huu Song and his colleagues at the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi.

Most notably, the German Embassy in Vietnam and the DAAD branch located in Hanoi have also been able to successfully facilitate the implementation of the project in an efficient manner.

Airbridge created for transporting face masks from Vietnam to France

France has reportedly set up an airbridge to transport hundreds of millions of antibacterial cloth face masks made in Vietnam to this European nation by the end of May to assist with the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

According to French television channel RTL, the Vietnamese-made face masks will be provided to students, managers and those in charge of ensuring post-lockdown public safety. They will also be available for sale at chemist stores. 

Bolloré Logistic Vietnam, a France-based transport and logistics company, will carry the medical supplies to France.

The company has arranged for two freight flights per day for a total of some 50 flights that will bring the masks to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle International Airport in the French capital of Paris this month.

Another source revealed that 4-5 weekly cargo flights chartered from Asian carriers were operated to transport masks at the end of April.

Aiming to create a new normal situation from May 11, France needs an estimated 250 million face masks per month. However, this European nation is capable of manufacturing only 40 million of them and has to import the rest, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Many firms active in France are reportedly rushing to purchase an adequate number of face masks for their employees who will return to work after the lockdown order is lifted in phases from May 11.

Vietnam goes four weeks without new COVID-19 community infections

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases on May 14 morning, marking it four weeks in a row without any community transmissions, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The committee added that 148 imported cases have been quarantined upon their arrival.

So far, 13,719 people having close contact with patients or entering from the pandemic-hit regions have been quarantined, including 324 at hospitals, 7,254 at concentrated quarantine areas and 6,141 at home.

The committee’s treatment subcommittee reported that 252 patients have given the all-clear from COVID-19 and discharged from hospitals, while 36 others are being treated at centrally-run and provincial health facilities. Most of them are in stable condition.

Six patients have tested negative for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, and 11 tested negative twice or more./. 

Seven patients recover from COVID-19, total at 259

Seven more patients with COVID-19 have recovered at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases on Thursday, bringing the country’s total cases being given the all-clear to 259.

All of the recovered patients are Vietnamese nationals, including Patient 134, Patient 141, Patient 185, Patient 193, Patient 196, Patient 244 and Patient 263.

Patient 134, a 10-year-old boy, living in Thạch Thất District of Hà Nội, entered Việt Nam from overseas on March 18 at Nội Bài Airport on flight number SU290. The patient was taken to a quarantine facility in Thanh Hoá Province upon arrival where he was tested for SARS-CoV-2. His sample which was sent to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on March 23 and returned positive for the virus.

Patient 141 is a 29-year-old doctor working in the emergency department of the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Đông Anh branch.

The doctor was infected with the virus when setting up a ventilator for the 28th patient.

Patient 185, is a 38-year-old male living in Đông La Commune of Hà Nội’s Hoài Đức District. The patient was in Bạch Mai Hospital taking care of his brother-in-law on March 15, 16, 18 and 19. He twice visited the hospital’s canteen. The patient was sent to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Đông Anh branch, after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by the Hà Nội Centre for Disease Control on March 28.

Patient 193, a female, living in Hải Hậu District of Nam Định Province was admitted to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Đông Anh branch on March 30.

Patient 196, is a 34-year-old female staff member of Trường Sinh Company which provided hot water to Bạch Mai Hospital.

Patient 244 is a Vietnamese woman living in Germany. She is a waitress at a restaurant in Germany. She flew from Germany to Russia on flight SU213, seat 20F, and from Russia to Việt Nam on SU290, seat 40C. She arrived at Nội Bài Airport on March 25. She was taken to a quarantine facility of FPT dormitory in Thạch Thất District of Hà Nội right after landing. After testing positive for the virus on April 6, she was admitted to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Đông Anh branch.

Patient 263, is a 45-year-old woman living in Hạ Lôi Commune of Mê Linh District, Hà Nội. On March 25, the patient suffered a fever, sore throat, cough and tiredness. On April 11, she was tested for SARS-CoV-2. Two days later, the test came back positive. Then she was admitted to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Đông Anh branch, for quarantine and treatment.

At present, all seven patients have no fever, no cough, no shortness of breath and are in a stable condition.

The patients will continue to be isolated and monitored for the next 14 days, according to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases.

As of Thursday morning (May 14), Việt Nam has now gone four weeks without any community transmissions. 

So far, 259 out 288 infected patients have recovered, accounting for 90 per cent of cases.

Malaysia may re-apply restriction measures: health official

The Malaysian government may re-apply strict control measures to prevent another possible emergence of COVID-19 in the country.

Speaking at a press conference on May 13, Director-General of the country’s Ministry of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said the government will continue keeping a close watch on COVID-19 developments after the enforcement of the conditional movement control order (CMCO), a relaxed form of the movement control order (MCO) which began in mid-March.

It will evaluate the outcome after two weeks, he said, adding that the return of the MCO is not out of question.

He noted that if the number of infections is under control, many sectors of the Southeast Asian nation will resume operations. On the other hand, drastic restriction measures will be taken if new cases continue rising.

Malaysia reported 37 new cases on May 13, including 21 foreign labourers, bringing the national tally to 6,779, with 111 fatalities./.

Vietnam records no new COVID-19 infections in community for 27 days

252 patients have been given the all-clear from COVID-19 and discharged from hospitals, according the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases on May 13 evening, marking it 27 days in a row without new infections in the community, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The committee added that 148 imported cases have been quarantined upon their arrival.

So far, 13,719 people having close contact with patients or entering from the pandemic-hit regions have been quarantined, including 324 at hospitals, 7,254 at concentrated quarantine areas and 6,141 at home.

The committee’s treatment subcommittee reported that 252 patients have given the all-clear from COVID-19 and discharged from hospitals, while 36 others are being treated at centrally-run and provincial health facilities. Most of them are in stable condition.

As of May 13 afternoon, six patients tested negative for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, and 11 tested negative twice or more./.

British COVID-19 patient has severe lung damage, needs transplant

A British pilot, who is the 91st COVID-19 patient in Vietnam, is suffering 90 percent damage to his lungs, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases where he is being treated.

The patient is now completely dependent on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

His CT results on May 13 showed severe solidification and fibrosis of the lungs, making it difficult for oxygen to get into the patient’s blood.

On May 12, the Ministry of Health (MoH) hosted a consultation with health experts from the country’s top hospitals on the case, concluding that a lung transplant is the only solution to save the patient.

However, it requires him to be given the all-clear and receive intensive antibiotic stewardship before being transferred to Cho Ray Hospital for the transplant.

Confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on March 18, the pilot has been suffering from a high fever since being hospitalised and his respiratory system has worsened despite him being just 43 years old and in otherwise good health.

He is also suffering from blood clots and cytokine storm syndrome – an intense immune response where the immune system releases a lot of cytokines through the bloodstream, which actually works against the body instead of protecting it.

His body was resistant to all types of anti-clotting medication, so the MoH has had to buy rare drugs from overseas to treat him, said Doctor Nguyen Van Kinh, head of the MoH’s professional council for COVID-19 treatment.

Another severe case of COVID-19, the 287th patient – a 50-year-old woman returning from United Arab Emirates (UAE) – is also under treatment at the hospital. Her X-ray results on May 12 showed increasing lung damage.

On May 13, the patient recovered from a fever, her pulse and blood pressure remained stable./.

An Giang traces escapee from COVID-19 quarantine camp

A COVID-19 quarantine zone in An Giang province's An Phu township (Photo: soyte.angiang.gov.vn)

Police in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have been looking for a man who escaped from a quarantine establishment, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Van Phuoc said on May 13.

Tran Van Nam, 28, from Kien An commune in An Giang province's Cho Moi district, returned to Vietnam illegally from Cambodia by boat through Khanh An commune, An Phu district.

He was detained by border forces and sent to a quarantine camp in Luong The Vinh High School in An Phu district on May 10 afternoon.

On May 11 morning, local forces found he had escaped from the quarantine establishment and not yet been tested for SARS-CoV-2.

The provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control required the police, people's committees of districts, towns and city to urgently check hotels, motels and other places to find Nam.

The provincial People's Committee also requested the Department of Transport to notify bus stations in order to quickly find him, Phuoc said./.

Vietnam helps Cambodian detention centres battle COVID-19

At the handover ceremony in Cambodia

Representatives from the Embassy of Vietnam and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Cambodia on May 13 presented 4,000 antimicrobial face masks for the country’s detention centres.

The support was in response to a call from the ICRC in Vietnam’s neighbour for medical supplies for detainees amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the start of February, the ICRC in Cambodia has bolstered its support for the country’s General Department of Prisons’ efforts to curb the spread of the virus nationwide. The organisation has allocated roughly 230,000 USD to assist those facilities around the country.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, ICRC Protection Coordinator in Cambodia Chyngyz Rayimbekov underlined that the Embassy of Vietnam was among the first diplomatic offices in Cambodia to respond to the ICRC’s call.

The relief will contribute to the fight against the pandemic in Cambodia, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Government has also presented medical supplies to many countries, including the US and European nations.

General Department of Prisons Director-General Chan Kimseng noted that Vietnam has effectively brought the pandemic under control, been recognised as a model for handling the disease, and earned high public confidence.

The Embassy of Vietnam previously handed over a relief package of 60,000 masks and 300 protective suits from the Vietnam Red Cross Society to its Cambodian counterpart.

In early April, Ambassador Vu Quang Minh presented medical supplies, including test kits worth 7 billion VND (300,000 USD) from the Vietnamese Government and people to their Cambodian friends./.

Czech media laud Vietnam for success in COVID-19 fight 

Czech media outlets have recently praised Vietnam for its success in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The public radio broadcaster Rohlas.cz quoted an assessment of the US’s Johns Hopkins University as saying that Vietnam is one among the few countries well controlling the pandemic, as it has to date reported 288 infections and no fatalities, and gone without any community transmission of the disease for four weeks.

The radio emphasised that quick response, drastic measures and massive testing have helped Vietnam prevent the disease from developing into a disaster.

The broadcaster said that right after the first cases were detected in Vietnam in late January, Vietnam rapidly implemented response measures, including closing border gates with China – the epicentre at that time, and quarantining those entering the country.

When the number of infections increased from 20 to over 100, the Government decided to take more drastic measures such as imposing social distancing measures, suspending international flights, banning large gatherings of over 30 people, and closing restaurants and bars.

The daily newspaper idnes.cz also appreciated Vietnam’s rapid response and effective prevention measures.

It recently ran an article which stressed that Vietnam has assisted other countries thanks to its success in the fight. The country has provided face masks and medical supplies for not only its neighbours in Southeast Asia but also countries in Europe.

Meanwhile, the Czech News Agency (CTK) cited Worldcrunch’s assessment when affirming that Vietnam has gained impressive results in the COVID-19 fight with a low infection rate and no deaths.

The Vietnamese Government chose a “low-cost” strategy by promptly detecting any infections, and tracing possible contacts with confirmed cases, it said./.

Cambodia to relax restrictions against COVID-19 to boost economy

Cambodia’s National Committee for Combating COVID-19 on May 12 discussed easing restrictions and reopening businesses in priority sectors in a bid to boost the national economy.

In fact, Cambodian people are gradually returning to their usual routines as no new infections were recorded over the past month.

Or Vandine, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, revealed some sectors which could be allowed to reopen such as restaurants, entertainment establishments and schools.

However, she warned that as the government charts a course to recovery from the pandemic, it is necessary for everyone to be responsible for preventing a second wave of coronavirus outbreak./.

HCM City friendship organisations supporting schools in combatting COVID-19

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) has partnered with foreign non-government organisations and businesses to donate medical supplies to certain schools across the city to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to HUFO Vice President Tran Hoang Khanh Van.

The union presented 5,000 face masks, 400 bottles of hand sanitiser, and 100 litres of antiseptic solution to Binh Khanh Primary School in Can Gio district on May 13.

It earlier worked with the Vietnam-India Friendship Association of HCM City and the Association of Indian Businesses in Vietnam to present 5,000 face masks and 500 bottles of hand sanitiser to Cao Bat Quat Primary School in Phu Nhuan district.

HUFO has also presented medical supplies and essential goods to health facilities and people affected by COVID-19 as well as to certain Consulates General in the city.

Most recently, at the Japan Consulate General, HUFO President Vuong Duc Hoang Quan presented 7,100 face masks, 100 sets of medical protective gear, and 100 litres of antiseptic solution to schools teaching Japanese children in the city./.

Hà Nội provides medical supplies to help Moscow cope with COVID-19

On behalf of the Party organisation, administration and people of Hà Nội, Chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung presented medical supplies to the Russian capital of Moscow and the Vietnamese community in the country on Tuesday, in support of efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the handover ceremony, Hà Nội presented 100,000 antibacterial cloth face masks and 50,000 medical face masks to Moscow, along with another 50,000 masks to the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese community in Russia.

Chairman Chung said all countries are making every effort to contain the pandemic but none can single-handedly deal with the problem. Enhancing international cooperation and solidarity is therefore of critical importance to stopping the spread of the disease and minimising its socioeconomic impact on each nation and region.

Based on the Việt Nam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership and the traditional friendship between the two capitals, the Party organisation, administration and people of Hà Nội wish to share some of their resources with Moscow’s administration and people in the fight against COVID-19, he noted.

For his part, Russian Ambassador to Việt Nam Konstantin Vnukov said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the country’s Government, necessary measures have been adopted to curb the pandemic and Việt Nam is now among the best performers in combating COVID-19.

On behalf of the Moscow administration and people, he thanked Hà Nội for the gifts.

Over 340 Vietnamese citizens brought home from Russia

Việt Nam has arranged a special repatriation flight to bring home more than 340 citizens from Russia.

The Vietnam Airlines flight departed from Moscow on May 12, carrying mostly children under the age of 18, students without a place to stay because of school and dormitory closures, the elderly, sick people, tourists and people whose visas had expired but could not leave the country.

The Embassy of Việt Nam in Russia has instructed citizens to complete all required procedures and cooperate with local authorities to support them during their journey home.

Landing at Vân Đồn International Airport in the northern province of Quảng Ninh the following day, the passengers and cabin crew members were provided with medical checkups and quarantined in line with regulations.

Heading to Russia, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines also took Russian citizens home.

The Government said it would continue arranging flights to bring back its citizens home depending on the pandemic's developments, quarantine capacity of Vietnamese localities, and the demand of Vietnamese citizens living overseas.